Pithapuram, Kakinada Overview

Located in Kakinada, one of the largest cities of Andhra Pradesh, Pithapuram is a temple town. It is highly revered for being the site of a number of temples, all of which are highly revered among followers of Hinduism. Moreover, Shripada Shri Vallabha, who is believed to be a complete incarnation of Lord Dattatreya, resided here for a lived in Pithapuram.

The whole town is full of stories, legends, history and stunning architecture. Devotees also maintain that a part of Goddess Parvati's body, i.e. her left hand fell here, and it is a Shakti Peetha as well. It is a fine example of the architecture and history dating back to 4th Century!

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Pithapuram Temples

Needless to say, Pithapuram is most famous as a pilgrimage spot and has a number of temples that you can visit. Some of the most famous of them include:-

1. Sripada Vallabha Swami Temple: The mighty edifice of Shri Sripada Vallabha Swami is dedicated to a deity by the same name, who is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. As the legend goes, Sripada Vallabha Swami was the third son of a Brahmin couple Appalaraja Sarma and Sumathi. Even at a young age, Sripada Vallabha had wisdom beyond his years. When he turned sixteen years old, his parents thought of getting him married, to which he responded that his purpose was to spread the light of knowledge in the world. He then went on to travel to pilgrimage places such as Kashi, Badrinath, Kedarnath and many other places, where he preached the word of the Lord. He finally took Samadhi after paying respect to river Ganga and the temple was hence constructed to honour his memory.

2. Purukithadevi Sakthi Peetam: Purukithadevi Sakthi Peetam in Pithapuram is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the region. Together with the Kukkuteshwara Swami Temple, it forms an important part of the temple circuit in Andhra Pradesh. The deity in the Purukithadevi Sakthi Peetam appears in a granite idol and stands at a height of four feet. Embellished with luxurious silks and glittering ornaments, Purukithadevi Sakthi faces the north direction and is close to the Kukkuteshwara Swami Linga facing south. The temple also has many smaller temples and the Padagsaya tank within its bounds. Regular pooja rituals are performed here and a number of people visit the temple to catch a glimpse of the Goddess.

3. Kukkuteshwara Swami Temple: The Kukkuteshwara Swami Temple in Pithapuram is one of the oldest temples in Andhra Pradesh dedicated to Lord Shiva. The idol in the main sanctum is said to have been a self-manifested one and is made of a special bead that absorbs sound and emits the same. Situated exactly opposite to the Shivalingam is an idol of Lord Shiva's celestial bull Nandi, who guards the Dwaja Stambh as well. The statue of Nandi is said to have been carved out of a single piece of stone and is the second largest idol of its kind after Lepakshi Basaveswara Nandi.

4. Kunthi Madhava Swamy Temple: Kunthi Madhava Temple is a Vaishnav shrine located near the Godavari river. As the story of the temple goes, Ved Vyas had visited the temple and proclaimed that it was established by Lord Indra himself and was worshipped by Lord Ram, Kunti and the Pandavas as well. Among these deities, Kunti had performed many worship rituals here as a result of which the temple came to be known as Kunthi Madhava Kshetra or Kunthi Madhava Swamy Temple.

Religious importance of Pithapuram

Pithapuram is one among the Trigaya Kshetrams and has become famous as Pada Gaya kshetram. It came to be known so because of Gaya Asura, a powerful yet pious demon who laid his body at the behest of Brahma for doing a great yagam for the betterment of people. It is one of the oldest and famous pilgrimage towns of India. Pithapuram is one of the twelve pilgrims, one of the five Madava Kshetra and one of the eighteen Shakti Piths. The city is also famous for Kukkuteshwara Swamy temple, Kunthi Madhava Swami Temple, Sripada Srivallbha Mahasansthanam, Sri Viswa Viznana Vidya Adhyatmika Peetham.

How To Reach Pithapuram

Pithapuram is 12 kms from Samalkota and 20 kms from Kakinada and 62 kms from Rajahmundry. Regular buses are available from Rajahmundry, Kakinada, Vishakapatanam and Vijayawada. Pithapuram, Kakinada and Samalkota are the nearest railway stations.